Alex Smith (11) in action against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Report: 'Don't sleep on the Bears' as team to sign Alex Smith

By Blake Harper | Last updated 3/2/21

Alex Smith is expected to enter free agency in the upcoming days, as the reigning Comeback Player of the Year is set to be released by the Washington Football Team in order to save the team $13.6 million on the salary cap. Assuming Smith wants to continue his career, where could he end up? According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the veteran quarterback could be a good fit in Chicago.

"If you're looking for a potential landing spot for Alex Smith, don't sleep on the Bears," Rapoport said on Good Morning Football. "They have Matt Nagy, who, of course, coached Alex Smith in Kansas City."

From @NFLTotalAccess: WFT QB Alex Smith will be a free agent, likely today, and he becomes an intriguing option in the QB world. pic.twitter.com/8je0UVB5aJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2021

Smith to the Bears is an interesting pairing, as Chicago certainly seems prepared to move on from their current duo of Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky. And as Rapoport noted, Smith was coached by Chicago head coach Nagy when he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Chiefs.

However, given the current unpredictability of quarterback movement around the league, the Bears may see Smith as more of a consolation prize if they miss out on bigger targets, like Russell Wilson or Deshaun Watson. After all, while Smith's story is certainly inspiring, does Chicago really think the answer to its problems is a 37-year-old quarterback who threw more interceptions than touchdowns last season? Probably not.

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